Game of Thrones: Bonds of Family
by Assassin master ezio 91
Summary: Series AU, when Arya falls ill, her family band together to help her get better, amongst them, her betrothed, Gendry. A story of comfort and love and family, but with Arya, despite her illness, being her usual stubborn self. Pairing: Arya/Gendry obviously, possible hints of Bran/Meera. Rated for language; if you think it could be lowered, let me know.
1. Chapter 1

**Game of Thrones: Bonds of Family**

Chapter 1 of my new Game of Thrones story, hope you enjoy it, thanks :)

Just a few notes for this; Ned still discovered the secret about Joffrey and his siblings, but didn't try to expose it to the court, he simply told Stannis and worked things so he and his family and that could leave, they also brought Gendry with them. I think just about everything else is told in the story itself; but if anything's missing, please let me know and if it's not in future chapters, I'll explain.

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It was a quiet day in Winterfell; but to those that knew, it wasn't a peaceful time. War was brewing in Westeros, over the Iron Throne. Evidence had been uncovered which revealed that King Joffrey Baratheon and his siblings were not true Baratheons; they were in fact bastards, born of incest between Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime Lannister. As such, the previous King, Robert Baratheon, had no true sons. Therefore his true heir, his brother Stannis, was waging a war to claim the throne.

The man who uncovered this evidence was King Robert's good friend, Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, the largest of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. He had been in the capital of King's Landing at the time, however he had been careful and managed to ensure his return home, along with the return of his family and household that had accompanied him.

As things currently stood however, Winterfell and the North were not required for direct action in the war, at least not yet. So the family remained at home, enjoying the peace while they could. Within one of the tower rooms, several young females of varying ages, were seated, attending a lesson being held by Winterfell's resident Septa, Mordane.

Amongst the ladies present was Eddard and his wife Catelyn's eldest daughter, seven and ten year old Sansa Stark. Much like her older brother and two younger brothers, Sansa had inherited her appearance from her mother. As such she had auburn hair and blue eyes as well as high cheekbones and, being of the North, she was naturally pale which enhanced these features. She had, at one point, been betrothed to Joffrey Baratheon and madly in love with him.

' _Until I saw, with my own eyes, what sort of monster he was.'_ She thought sadly.

Thankfully her father was able to end the agreement and bring her home with him. Now she simply lived with her family and enjoyed life, attending her lessons on being a proper lady, something she excelled at. She contemplated on the rest of the family, namely her brothers, twenty year old Robb, four and ten year old Bran and ten year old Rickon.

They would all be outside right now, Robb probably teaching Rickon sword fighting, while Bran would most likely be seated on his horse, working on his archery, unable to do sword fighting due to the sad accident which left him crippled and unable to walk. Yet one family member was missing, her five and ten year old sister, Arya Stark.

Arya was something of a wild child, never doing what was proper, always rebelling and stating she didn't want to be a 'lady' and would rather wield a sword and dress like a boy than wear dresses and learning sewing and such like. It drove Sansa and Septa Mordane to despair at times and caused no end of frustration for the girl's mother.

But now, now things had changed, it had been a slow process, but gradually they had come to accept Arya's behaviour and now it was tolerated, if not outright accepted. Arya was the only Stark child to inherit their father's appearance, possessing brown hair, grey eyes and a long narrow face. Sansa recalled with shame how she and her friends, particularly Jeyne Poole, would tease Arya, particularly about her appearance.

Yet that had changed, as she grew older Arya seemed to naturally develop into her appearance and was now a beautiful young woman, even if she didn't believe so herself.

Arya was supposed to be attending this lesson, it was something of a compromise that was worked out, while she refused to become a proper lady, she still attended some lessons. Sansa bit her lip, worried and turned to Mordane.

"I am sorry to interrupt Septa, but Arya seems to be missing." She said.

Mordane looked around and sighed. "That girl, she did agree she would come, where has she got to now?"

Sansa then remembered something which worried her even more. "According to father, she wasn't at the practice yard doing her Water Dancing either."

Water Dancing was a strange style of sword fighting that Arya excelled at, even using her own sword, a thin bladed one named Needle. Sansa had been shocked to discover Arya had such a sword and clearly had it for a long time.

Upon Sansa mentioning that, Mordane looked worried.

"You're right, that isn't like her at all." She remarked; finally she seemed to decide something. "Girls, talk amongst yourselves for a while, I will be back soon."

With that she left the room, determined to go looking for Arya. Not turning up for one of Mordane's lessons was one thing, but failing to show up to practice her Water Dancing was unheard of with Arya. Feeling worried Mordane approached Arya's room, she carefully knocked on the door.

"Lady Arya." She called out; she got no reply. "I'm coming in."

She opened the door and entered, her eyes widened. Arya was still in bed, yet even from this distance, Mordane could see the girl's face was drenched in perspiration and her hair matted with it, some sticking to her forehead. Grey eyes fluttered open as Arya spotted Mordane.

"Septa?" Her voice came out shockingly weak and rough.

It was then she started coughing. Mordane rushed over to her.

"Gods, Arya." She cried out, gently feeling the girl's forehead.

It was extremely hot, beneath the sweat Arya's face was flushed, it was clear she was ill.

"I…"

Mordane shook her head. "Just stay in bed, rest up, it seems you've caught a fever."

Arya mumbled something but nodded; Mordane slowly, quietly left the room. Sansa stood by the door, eyes wide, she had heard what was said.

Mordane turned to Sansa and nodded.

"Yes, Lady Arya is ill."

Sansa looked frantic. "We…we have to tell my parents."

Mordane nodded. "I will tell Lord and Lady Stark, please, go and fetch Ser Gendry and let him know."

Sansa nodded before hurrying off to the forge. Ser Gendry was a young man, the same age as Robb, who was, remarkably, Arya's betrothed. He was known, at least to the family, to be the bastard son of Robert Baratheon, and a blacksmith apprentice. He had befriended Arya during their time in King's Landing and, as part of some arrangement Sansa didn't know the details of, had been brought back to Winterfell with them.

He and Arya clearly had feelings for each other as Arya grew older. But neither acted upon them, until one day, a bandit raid had put Arya in danger, Gendry selflessly put himself at risk to save her and was rewarded for these services by being knighted.

' _Despite everything Arya said against marrying…She changed, for Gendry at least, in the end, how could we not agree?'_ Sansa thought to herself, smiling as she recalled that moment.

The family knew about the young couple's feelings and it was clear they would find a way to be together, with or without their approval, thankfully, it was with. But now, now Arya was ill and clearly needed help. Sansa knew Gendry was just the person to help her.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	2. Chapter 2

**Game of Thrones: Bonds of Family**

Chapter 2 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **wazzup11: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)  
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; yeah, thought it would be a nice change.  
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks :)  
Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; glad you liked that bit :)  
CadeTheSlowpoke1: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, maybe, but what the hey.  
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
tardisinthesgc: Thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Sansa bit her lip; worried as she considered what she had heard.

' _I can't believe it, Arya getting sick of all people.'_ She thought sadly. _'She's always so strong; it was like nothing could get her.'_

Shaking her head she continued to reach her destination; the forge. She stepped inside; her eyes immediately seeking and finding the one she had come to find, Arya's betrothed, Ser Gendry. Ser Gendry was twenty years of age and rather tall and muscular; almost the polar opposite of Arya. He had thick shaggy black hair and striking blue eyes, much like his father Robert Baratheon; albeit none of King Robert's weaknesses.

He was working on repairing some armour while Mikken was busy forging a new sword. Mikken looked up and bowed when he saw her.

"Ah, my Lady, what a surprise; how may I assist you?" He said at once.

Sansa smiled. "I need to speak with Gendry, Mikken. It's urgent."

Gendry looked up and approached her. "What is it?"

"It's Arya." Sansa revealed, telling him about her sister's illness.

Gendry's eyes widened; Mikken merely nodded when he looked to him and Gendry quickly rushed to Arya's room. Sansa couldn't help but smile when she saw that. Meanwhile, Mordane made her way to the Lord's solar. She knocked and entered, inside Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn were talking. They looked up as Mordane entered.

"Septa?" Catelyn queried, curious as to her presence.

Mordane sighed. "I am sorry to trouble you my Lord, my Lady, but it is about Lady Arya. She is unwell, it looks bad. I've asked her to remain in bed."

Mordane described the symptoms she saw, Both Ned and Cat were shocked and horrified by this and quickly prepared to go and see their daughter, sending word to Maester Luwin too.

* * *

Arya groaned as she lay in bed; over the past few days she had felt strangely weak. Then, this morning, she had awoke to a burning feeling within her, sweating profusely, her limbs felt like lead and couldn't stop coughing.

' _Urgh; how did this happen…I can't believe I'm, urgh this is terrible.'_ She thought groggily.

She couldn't believe she had ended up sick. She had been bracing herself, unsure what to expect when the door opened; but it turned out to be Septa Mordane. Despite Arya's wishes and restlessness, she reluctantly did as Mordane said and stayed in bed.

She sighed. _'Urgh, there's nothing to do, I'm stuck here and I…Urgh, Gods.'_

She broke out coughing while wishing to brush her hair back. But her arms were too heavy and the sweat was beginning to sting her eyes. Just then the door opened again, Arya looked towards the door and a more pleasant warm feeling fluttered in her chest as she saw Gendry entering the room. Gendry saw her and immediately rushed to her side.

"Arry, I heard, are you…?"

Arya smiled. "It's good to…"

She broke off, coughing, Gendry immediately tried to help her. Arya waved him off.

"Arry…"

"Gendry; don't. I can take care of myself." She insisted.

Gendry shook his head. "Arry, you're sick."

She nodded, even though it made her head hurt. "Sick yes, not helpless."

Gendry sighed; sick or not, Arya was still as stubborn as ever.

He reacted quickly when he saw Arya was in fact trying to sit up.

"Whoa, Arry, no." He said; gently coaxing her back down.

She glared. "Gendry, I'm not…"  
He smiled softly. "Helpless, I know, but you are sick and you _do_ need help."

Arya sighed but relented a little, smiling. "Alright, alright…I suppose. You know seeing you does make me feel a little better."

Gendry grinned at that as he sat down next to her. He bit his lip however as he observed her, of course he still found her beautiful, but he could clearly see the signs of her illness. He sighed gently as he noted her flushed sweat drenched face. It certainly wouldn't be easy, but he wanted to care for her, despite her stubbornness.

He wanted to help her feel better and had to start small, so he gently picked up the small cloth he had in his pocket, thankfully a fresh one. Meanwhile Ned and Cat made their way to Arya's room, both were worried, Cat nearly frantic.

"Oh, my poor Arya, of all the things to happen." She muttered worriedly.

Ned gently took her hand. "Arya's a fighter Cat, she'll overcome this, it hopefully won't be anything that serious."

Catelyn nodded as they reached Arya's room and entered.

Almost immediately they smiled at the sight before them; Gendry was trying to clean the sweat off her forehead with a cloth. Arya was, despite the effort it required in her weakened state, pushing his hand away.

"Gendry, enough, I'm sick, not dying."

Gendry shook his head. "I just wanted to help."

She sighed. "Honestly, I…"

She broke into a coughing fit again, but still gestured Gendry away.

"Still your usual self, Arya, despite everything?" Ned asked.

Both Arya and Gendry turned, Gendry leapt to his feet.

"M'lord, M'lady." He gasped.

Arya shook her head. "Sit down Gendry, you're going to be family remember. Mother, father."

Catelyn smiled softly. "Hello Arya, we heard what happened; you really should let Gendry help. It'll make things easier for you, might help you recover faster."

Arya sighed but finally relented and Gendry finished cleaning her sweaty forehead.

"Thank you, but really, I'm alright." She insisted.

It was then however that Maester Luwin arrived. "We will see if that is the case, My Lady."

Arya sighed but nodded and allowed Luwin to examine her. Finally, Maester Luwin nodded.

"Yes, Septa Mordane's initial suspicions were correct." He remarked. "Lady Arya has contracted a fever; there are some medicines which will help, but truthfully, she needs rest and plenty of it."

Arya almost groaned as that of course meant staying stuck in bed; but she knew better than to question Maester Luwin, so she agreed.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	3. Chapter 3

**Game of Thrones: Bonds of Family**

Chapter 3 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Here we go.  
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks :)  
Dovahkin no unknown: It's just a fever, you've seen the effects, Arya's symptoms.  
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks.  
Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it; glad you liked that, yeah, well, that's Arya and no matter what, Gendry will always feel that way, that's just how he is :)  
tardsinthesgc: Yeah, it's a shame, still, so long as she rests, she can get better :)  
wazzup11: Thanks, yeah, well, they are trying to help her in her weakened state.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Arya lay in bed, despite her restlessness, she was asleep. She took Luwin's advice and remained in bed, her illness had in fact drained her so she soon fell asleep and was now getting the rest she needed. Gendry sat by her side, holding her hand and occasionally mopping the sweat from her face. Catelyn sat on the other side of the bed, working on her prayer wheel.

' _I can only hope…Ned is right, Arya is a fighter, if anyone can get through this, she can.'_ She thought to herself. _'It may be in the Gods hands, but Arya will surely fight.'_

Smiling hopefully at the thought she glanced up at Gendry, who continued to care for Arya.

Her thoughts continued. _'He came straight to her when told; he didn't care about the risks of getting sick himself, he instantly came to her side. He truly cares that much for her.'_

She let out a soft sigh as she recalled when she first saw Gendry.

' _I was shocked, surprised; when I saw him, he looked so much like his father, like King Robert. But I quickly learned he had none of Robert's weaknesses. I saw the way he looked at Arya too; I was afraid, but he was respectful, he knew his place…I wasn't afraid of anything happening. Then he was knighted.'_

Catelyn lowered her head sadly as she recalled the way she had reacted at that time, it shamed her, but she couldn't escape it.

She recalled her immediate reaction with shame.

' _I was so…cold, I couldn't believe it when he saved Arya and was knighted, I saw the way Arya looked at him and I felt dismayed, she felt the same way.'_ She thought sadly. _'I was cold towards him, the same…the same way I treated Jon. All I could see was a baseborn blacksmith apprentice, knighted and trying to steal my daughter away.'_

She shook her head; recalled how she actually confronted him about it once. It had led to blazing argument, not with him, but with Arya.

She bowed her head sadly. _'I almost chased my daughter away…when all I wanted was to keep her safe. I was so scared, not only because of that, but because of the danger Gendry represented.'_

She looked up at Gendry again; watching his careful care of Arya.

' _When I heard they were betrothed, I was shocked, I couldn't fathom what Ned was thinking. I argued with them again, Gendry and Arya both, Arya made it clear. She wasn't asking permission from me. She was going to marry Gendry, with or without my approval.'_

It had made her feel desperate, depressed, everybody in the family was pleased for Arya, yet they seemed so oblivious to the danger.

Catelyn returned her attention to her prayer wheel and continued to contemplate.

' _I just wanted my daughter to be safe, Gendry was…is dangerous. Being the son of Robert Baratheon makes him a target, so many would view him as a threat, especially Stannis, Joffrey, Cersei…They'll all seek to harm him, due to his blood.'_ She thought sadly. _'I didn't want Arya to be put in that danger. But, but Arya knew all along, they all did. Arya was willing to live with that danger, if it meant being with Gendry.'_

She only had the best intentions, but it had nearly cost her something dear; her daughter. Matters were more or less resolved now, Catelyn was looking forward to Arya and Gendry's wedding as much as anyone. But still, she felt terrible, terrible about the past, her mistakes.

Seeking to make amends, she looked up. "Gendry."

He looked up at her, biting his lip. "M'lady?"

"Stop that, Arya's right. You're going to be family soon." She said; managing a small smile. "I wanted to thank you, for helping Arya through this. For everything you've done for her."

Gendry seemed surprised by this but smiled. "I…Thank you."

She nodded. "It's true and…I'm sorry, for how I treated you back then, for everything, I shouldn't…"

"It's quite alright, I…I know you only wanted Arya to be safe." He replied with a smile. "There's nothing to forgive."

Catelyn bit her lip, tears in her eyes when she heard that.

There was a pause then, surprising them both.

"Gendry's right mother." A hoarse voice spoke.

They both jumped and looked down; Arya was now awake, smiling as she looked up at them.

"Arry, are you…?" Gendry gasped.

Catelyn was relieved; everything was looking better, she was amazed at what she heard, but it gave her a new feeling of hope.

"How are you?" She asked.

Arya smiled. "I…feel better, still kind of, bad though."

They both nodded; she felt better, but the fever hadn't broken yet.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	4. Chapter 4

**Game of Thrones: Bonds of Family**

Chapter 4 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.  
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks :)  
wazzup11: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)  
Dovahkin no unknown: Thanks.  
Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, she's recovering, slowly but surely. Glad you liked that part.  
tardisinthesgc: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, she's made amends, that's the main thing.  
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks, well, we can only wait and see.  
CadeTheSlowpoke1: Thanks; glad you enjoyed it :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Arya smiled, hopeful, as she waited for Maester Luwin, he was checking her symptoms again, following her waking up and reporting that she felt slightly better. Her parents and Gendry were waiting; finally Luwin finished his examination and straightened up.

"Yes, overcoming the fever will take more time." He remarked. "But you are recovering, Lady Arya."

Arya smiled, relieved. "Thank you."

Luwin nodded, smiling and spoke briefly to her parents, Gendry came over to her also smiling.

"This is good; I suppose I'm nearly there." She said.

Gendry nodded. "Yes; I am glad to hear it."

Arya nodded and then Gendry, reluctantly, left, he had to return to his duties as did her father. Her mother opted to stay with her however; they were also soon joined by Sansa.

"Sansa?"

She smiled. "I just came to see if there is anything I could do to help."

Arya sighed and was about to speak.

Sansa shook her head however. "I know what you're about to say Arya; just sit back and relax, let us help."

"Fine, fine." Arya agreed in the end.

So she relaxed, easing into the comfort of her pillow, after Sansa helped make it more comfortable.

It was some time later, Arya sighed as she sat up, carefully getting out of bed. Luckily she didn't get dizzy so she was able to stand up. Sansa had suggested to her that something which might help her feel even better, especially in her current state, would be a bath. Arya had agreed, desperately wanting to wash the sweat from her body. The bath was now ready, Sansa stepped back.

"There, we'll give you some privacy." She said. "If you do need help however, I'll wait outside."

Arya rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine Sansa, yes I'm ill but it's not that bad."

Sansa just laughed as Arya removed her sodden shift, Catelyn picked it up.

"I'll get a fresh one for you."

Arya smiled and thanked her mother before getting in the bath and began to clean herself, instantly the hot water began to relax her muscles. It did not take her long to finish cleaning herself and soon she was feeling more relaxed, better even, without all the sweat. Her temperature seemed have gone down a little. She soon dried off and pulled on the fresh shift her mother had brought for her before clambering back into bed.

Without the sweat adding to her discomfort, she was more relaxed and happy, despite still feeling ill, when Gendry arrived and remained at her side.

Gendry couldn't help but smile at how Arya was taking advantage of their situation. Despite being ill, she insisted on continuing their lessons. Ever since he was knighted, Gendry wanted to better himself, to feel more worthy of his new title and his betrothed.

Arya had laughed at this, saying it wasn't necessary, but none the less helped him. So it was that she began teaching him to read and write. So here they were, working on Gendry's lessons, while Arya remained in bed, recovering. They were visited by her brothers too at various points through the day.

Robb was first. "Arya."

She grinned. "Hello Robb."

"I see you're busy." Robb remarked with a laugh.

"Yeah, so, what's going on?"

Robb replied casually. "Nothing much, there hasn't been much news from the war front. So we're just keeping an eye of things. Closer to home, well, Rickon's learning well. Who knows, maybe once you're better you'll be able practice with him."

Arya laughed at that, as did Gendry. They were still smirking when Bran visited them later.

"So, how are you doing?" Bran asked casually.

Arya grinned. "Fine, how about you? I heard you had an archery contest with Meera."

Bran blushed but nodded. "Yes, we did…She's been worried about you, a lot of people have, I've seen some praying for your recovery."

Arya almost laughed at Bran's expression when she mentioned Meera; it was clear to her just what he was thinking.

"Gods, I'm not dying." She remarked, shaking her head.

This prompted more laughter for Gendry. Still, Arya couldn't deny she was surprised at so many people being worried about her, especially on such a personal level. The good news was, slowly but surely, she was recovering.

* * *

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


	5. Chapter 5

**Game of Thrones: Bonds of Family**

Chapter 5 of my Game of Thrones story, the final chapter, just a nice short sweet one to finish off, enjoy.

 **Reviews**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.  
wazzup11: Thanks, glad you like it.  
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, yeah, they are.  
Veridissima: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)  
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)  
tardisinthesgc: Thanks and yeah :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Catelyn Stark smiled gently to herself, it was a regular day in Winterfell; some days had passed and news was getting around the castle. Good news, Arya was recovering; in fact, there was hope she was fully recovered by now. All the same, Catelyn expected her daughter to take it easy for a few days, ensure her full recovery.

That turned out not to be the case, as she soon saw.

' _Gods.'_ She thought to herself when she saw.

There, in the training yard, despite having only just recovered, was Arya. She was fully dressed and working on her Water Dancing, a dedicated expression on her face.

Catelyn shook her head. _'It's so soon, isn't she worried she might not…'_

Shaking her head Catelyn quickly approached.

"Arya."  
Arya stopped and turned to her, smiling, the only remaining sign of her illness being a touch of red still colouring her cheeks.

"Hello Mother."  
Catelyn sighed. "Arya, are you sure you are well enough for such strenuous activity so soon, I mean."

Arya's smile widened. "I know what you mean mother, but I am fine, really. Besides I must catch up on what I've missed."

Catelyn knew right away, when Arya was in this mind-set, there was no arguing with her.

It was then Gendry joined them, smiling gently.

"You're serious about this Arya, getting back into training so soon after your recovery?"

Arya rolled her eyes. "Well of course, how else am I supposed to keep on top of everything, I need to catch up, otherwise I'll have to work even harder to get strong again."

Gendry nodded. "Alright then, let's go."

Both Catelyn and Arya were startled by that at first, but then realized what was going on and smiled. So Arya and Gendry began sparring, which also ensured Gendry could watch over Arya, in case she fell ill again. Arya meanwhile couldn't help but note; despite how terrible she had felt while ill, she felt good too, happy. The reason was simple.

' _All my family were there, they all turned up to help me, in whatever way they could.'_ She thought to herself.

It felt good to know, that they were all there and cared for her when she needed it most.

* * *

End of chapter and of story, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.


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